Germany’s foremost rock export performs one last high kick

By Clifford Grindstaff

For more than 40 years, Scorpions' career has spanned a vast breadth overrockin' rock’s subgenres. The band pioneered or played deftly through proto-metal, ’70s anthem rock, regrettable ’80s hair metal and the urgent whisper that is the power ballad. Now, after taking other bands to school for decades, the Scorpions makes one last pass across the world before calling it quits. The “Final Sting Tour” will be filling face holes in Albuquerque on Thursday at the Hard Rock Pavilion.

Though Santa Fe de Nuevo México became a territory of the United States in 1850, six decades passed before it was finally anointed 47th state. Despite ongoing union-joining efforts on the part of the citizenry, the lapse was due to federal government reluctance—the inhabitants here were seen as uncivilized and just not quite Anglo enough—but in 1912 the state was judged adequately assimilated. This January, New Mexico observed its statehood centennial, and fiestas will continue throughout the year. One of the biggest will be effervescing in Downtown Albuquerque this weekend.